Wakefield

Wakefield's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure, health and marriage.

The population reached nearly 330,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Wakefield increased by 3.4%, from about 315,000 to 326,000.

The addition of just under 11,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wakefield was home to, on average, 6.9 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wakefield

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wakefield increased by three years, from 38 to 41 years.

This industrial area had a higher average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 8,200 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 10,000.

About 12% of people in Wakefield are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Wakefield by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More single parents

Wakefield saw Yorkshire and The Humber's third-largest rise in the proportion of single-parent households.

In 2011, just under one in nine (11%) households in Wakefield had a single parent, compared with 9.7% in 2001. The percentage with a married couple decreased from 40% to 35%.

Across the region, only Calderdale (from 9.2% to 11%) and Craven (from 6.8% to 8.1%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of single-parent households.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a rise in the proportion of single-parent households, as the regional average grew from 9.5% to 10%.

The percentage of households with a single-parent was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of households that had a single parent across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Wakefield

The percentage of Wakefield residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 4.2% to 4.7% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The proportion who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.0%, while the percentage of Wakefield residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89% to 89%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 3.5% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Wakefield, but at a slower rate than in Doncaster, a statistically similar local authority area.

In Wakefield, the proportion of private renting increased from 5.7% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of privately rented homes increased from 9.1% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Wakefield fell from 28% to 24%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 65% to 64%.

Private renting in Wakefield increased by 5.7 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wakefield, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wakefield residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 12% to 7.7% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (77%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 65% in 2001. The percentage of Wakefield residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 16%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 10% in 2001 to 6.0% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wakefield decreased by 4.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wakefield, Yorkshire and The Humber and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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